Calendar

Our Autumn hiking season has arrived!!  Hopefully most of you will return to the Sonoran Desert in November and will be able to join some of the hikes planned for the four Tuesdays during next month. 

In order to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and better light of early mornings, this hiking season we plan to start a little earlier than past years, with hikers asked to meet each Tuesday at the Winfield Clubhouse at 7:45am for an 8am departure.  

To simplify communications, I will no longer be sending out a detailed hike description with options for longer or shorter hikes for each outing.  Instead, you will be provided just a short description of the planned hike and driving directions to the trailhead.  Except for special outings, we will try to keep all hikes to a maximum of 6 miles.  Hikers are welcome to plan longer or shorter versions of group hike, but they will need to coordinate carpooling and other matters among themselves.

List of November Hikes:

11/4 - Dragonfly, Boca Grande & Spur Cross Trail Loop (Spur Cross Conservation Area) - The hike is about 4.0 miles in length and entails modest elevation changes.  We start and end at the parking lot across from Spur Cross Stables, which is in the Jewel of the Creek Preserve and next to the entrance to Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area.  Our hike begins on the Dragonfly Trail and then follows the Boca Grande Trail (a recent new name) to the Spur Cross Trail, which we follow back to Spur Cross Road and our trailhead parking lot.  The trailhead is about a 15-20 minute drive from Winfield.  Drive north for 2 miles on Tom Darlington, turn left on Cave Creek Road for a mile and then right onto Spur Cross Road, which you follow north to the trailhead.

11/11 - Loop Around Granite Mountain (McDowell Sonoran Preserve) - The hike covers about 5.8 miles and involves only small elevation changes as we circumnavigate Granite Mountain.  Beginning and ending at the Granite Mountain Trailhead on 136th Street, our hike follows the Bootlegger, Saddlehorn, Granite Mountain Loop and (again) Bootlegger trails.  The trailhead is about a 30 minute drive from Winfield.  Drive south on Pima, turn left on Dynamite, which changes name to Rio Verde Road after passing Alma School Road.  Turn left on 136th Street and drive 3 miles until reaching the trailhead parking lot on your left.

11/18 - Marcus Landslide Trail(McDowell Sonoran Preserve) - Our hike may be described as a 4.0 mile lollipop with modest elevation gains on the return.  We head out and back 1.5 miles on the Marcus Landslide Trail to a scenic one mile loop at the farthest point from our Tom's Thumb Trailhead.  The drive from Winfield is about 25-30 minutes.  Head south on Pima, turn left on Dynamite, right on North 118th Street, then left on Ranch Road and finally right again onto 128th Street, which you follow to its end at the Tom's Thumb Trailhead.

11/25 - Apache Wash Loop (Phoenix Sonoran Preserve) - Our hike is a 4.9 mile loop with moderate elevation increases required to reach our high point at Ridgeback Overlook. From the Apache Wash Trailhead on East Sonoran Desert Drive,  We begin on Sidewinder Trail for about 2.5 miles before returning to our trailhead via Ridgeback and. Ocotillo Trails, with a 0.25 mile diversion to Ridgeback Overlook on the way back. The drive from Winfield is about 25 minutes. Head south on N. Scottsdale Road, turn right on Lone Mountain, then left on Cave Creek Road and finally right on E. Sonoran Desert Drive, which you follow until reaching the trailhead on your right.

 

For any questions call:

Phil Bates  415-794-2671 
Grant Ireland 847-308-3513
Marshall Sussman 201-988-5867
Brad Adams  847-471-2292

Reminders:

Hike with a buddy
Wear sunscreen & sunglasses
Bring plenty of water
Consider using trekking poles